Friday, February 28, 2014

First off I need to apologize for missing last week. I could list the number of things that went on, but in the long run the bottom line is it was Saturday evening before I realized I hadn’t posted anything. Sorry.

I’ve had several things run in and out of my mind over the last little bit, but nothing has really stuck. Partially because Hubby and I have been involved with the Gilbert Temple Cultural Celebration prep and that has taken up a good chunk of time. Not nearly as much time as others, but enough. Tomorrow that wonderful experience will come to an end. For anyone interested in watching it, ABC15.com will be streaming it live. You can also watch it @ 7 on channel 15.2. It will be pretty incredible to see.

The most recent thing to run through my mind is a conversation I had with a friend of mine. She’s currently helping out a teen by letting her live with their family. We ended up talking about when we all might come to accept certain things in life. I can’t remember exactly my response, but went along the lines of, “I don’t there are some things that we can accept in life but we need to come to the point of coping with them first.”

I’ve thought about that many times since. In this particular situation, a young girl is having to figure out how to accept the fact that her birth mother really doesn’t love her. Now I’m not sure anyone fully accepts that idea that their own mother doesn’t love them, especially when that is something that is sought after. However, there is a point in time where one has to come to a point where they can cope with that idea.

This idea spun to many other situations in life and I realized that most likely the first step in any hard situation is coping. One has to learn to cope with and live life despite that hard situation. Once we learn to cope with it and “move on” we are in a better position to accept whatever the situation is. From that acceptance comes the ability to let it go, forgive and forget, not let it consume life, and truly move on.

Now I understand that every situation is different. This process can happen over night or it can take years upon years. I also thought of my situation with Lion returning home. Where do I fall on this scale? Have I really accepted it? I believe I’ve learned to cope. I’ve learned to continue on with life. I trust in The Lord and His eternal plan. I have no doubt that I will see Lion again. Have I accepted the situation? I don’t know. I think it’s a continual learning process and every day brings me closer to where I need to be.

What are your thoughts on coping and accepting? I’d be curious to see if others think the same way I do. :)

Thursday, February 27, 2014

The Orphan and the ThiefAn adventure that will keep you and your kids spellbound.

Toad thought it’d be easy to steal from Mr. Edward P. Owl. Unfortunately for Toad, he isn’t the best of thieves. Caught in the act, he’s in more trouble than ever before. Now to save his hide, Toad must track down five rare potion ingredients for Mr. Owl. Or else.All Melena Snead wants is her family back, but after the Miggens Street Fire, that isn’t very likely. Orphaned and miserable, forced to work in an apothecary, she’s determined to find Milo, her missing brother. No matter what.
When Melena finds Toad ransacking her apothecary, Toad gets a nasty shock: apothecaries don’t carry Mr. Owl’s ingredients. Luckily, Melena’s willing to help, for a price.
With Melena’s pet Spit-Fire dragon and Toad’s enchanted talking beer mug, they embark on a fantastical journey, traveling the country in search of the potion ingredients. But can they gather all of them in time, what with monsters, pirates, and axe-wielding thieves? And if they do, is there an even greater danger waiting for them at the end?

M.L LeGette: Melissa Lee LeGette has been writing seriously since she was a teen. She loves an old world vibe with a magical twist, and she puts her full focus on creating believable characters--even if they happen to be a talking beer mug. Her books are targeted for children and teens, but have been enjoyed by adults of all ages.
She lives in Georgia where she helps run a family farm, so her nails are a fright.

Praise:[LeGette is] able to twist her unique fairy-tales to fit the imagination of children and the attention of adults. Five stars ... The Orphan and the Thief is definitely worth reading! -- Abigail / Goodreads Review
M.L. Legette conjures up a captivating magical tale in The Orphan and the Thief. I loved this story and I could not put my Kindle down until I finished the last page. This charming story is so good that it may very well become a classic. -- Karen Dowdall, Author of Delphi Altair: Strange Beginnings

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Tuesday, February 25, 2014

HOPE SPRINGS by Sarah M Eden. This is the second book in the LONGING FOR HOME books. Check out my review for that one, here. HOPE SPRINGS was amazing. The entire way through I wasn't sure who Katie was going to end up with. The twists and turns that happened kept me turning the pages as fast as I could. I loved how Sarah wove things together and answered all my questions while leaving me to wonder and create what I think could happen with some of the other characters. I highly recommend both books for anyone who loves a great romance.

:) :) :) :) :)

Katie Macauley gave up her lifelong dream of returning to Ireland in order to make a home for herself in Hope Springs, Wyoming, but her future has never been so uncertain.

Katie’s heart still remains sharply divided between playful Tavish and steady Joseph, though she feels ill-prepared to make a decision. Furthermore, the town is more divided than ever with both the Irish and the Reds stealing property, burning buildings, and endangering lives. In the midst of the growing unrest, tem­peratures drop quickly, too quickly, and Irish nightmares of fam­ine and cold resurface as the little Wyoming town struggles to beat the harsh winter.

Katie makes one sacrifice after another to keep the peace and help see her loved ones through the difficult days ahead, but will her efforts be enough? Can the town make amends before their hatred consumes them all? And will Katie find the love she has been searching for as well as a home to call her own?

Saturday, February 15, 2014

I have to say that we've been so busy this week that I've hardly had time to think. I'm not sure if that's a blessing or not. It marks one year since my sweet little lion returned home. It's so overwhelming to think about. In some ways it seems like forever ago and at the same time it feels like days ago. I'm not sure what to think at the moment. People have asked how we are doing and how we are celebrating. We are doing well. Is it easy, no. But we are good. As for how we are celebrating, I'll share more of that next week. Right now I'm still processing things.

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

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Saturday, February 1, 2014

Friday evening seems to sneak up too fast. I plan on having time and then I blink and it’s late Friday. It’s strange how that works or maybe it’s just my life. :)

One of the questions I feel is being asked a lot, or maybe it’s just because I’m asking myself the question, is what are you going to do for Lion’s birthday. Since it’s about a week a way, I guess it’s time to figure it out. The funny thing is, I haven’t physically had the time to figure it out.

I can’t decide if I’m grateful for all the distractions that are coming because they’re keeping my mind off of exactly what happened a year ago. Or if I resent them in a way because they’re keeping my mind off what happened a year ago. In a way I think it could be a blessing in disguise, but at the same time I’m wishing I had time to ponder things a little more.

Tigger is throwing out all the things he’d like to get Lion, i.e. a pink Christmas tree, a pumpkin, a yellow Christmas tree, wreaths, a butterfly, a green Christmas tree. It’s probably coming because of what he sees on the headstones of different people at the cemetery. That and we had a family funeral in Utah recently. There happened to be snow on the ground, which he loved, but now it’s Christmas time again because “it’s snowing.” I would love to make all of that happen, but time is becoming an issue and I don’t think I like that.

Anyway, I can say that I’m much more aware of the little ones around me. Especially those who share a birthday close to Lion. It makes me wonder what he would be doing if he had stuck around for longer. I try hard not to dwell on those thoughts though because he wouldn’t be doing anything close to what they are doing with the issues he would have still carried. One can imagine though.

So what are we going to do to celebrate one year? I don’t exactly know yet. It’s hard to believe it’s been that long. In some ways it feels like it happened forever ago and in others it happened yesterday. It’s a very strange feeling.

So with my scattered brain, I’m going to have to leave on that note. I want to do something special and I have a few ideas but it never hurts to have more. What are your suggestions?